


if i gotta take the high road, i'm rollin'

by hargrovebuckley



Series: what do you want from me? [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Upside Down, Gen, M/M, Stranger Things 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-25 05:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21930706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hargrovebuckley/pseuds/hargrovebuckley
Summary: Max doesn’t get it.Billy was fine in California, a dick but fine, and when they got uprooted the Hawkins, he got worse.But that’s not the confusing part.From the second they entered Indiana, for the entirety of the three days they lived in their new home together, Billy was cruel and a bully. But the day after Halloween, he was back to his mean andfine, older step-brother self.Billy’s being weird, but he’s fine, and Max doesn’t get it.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: what do you want from me? [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573270
Comments: 9
Kudos: 294





	if i gotta take the high road, i'm rollin'

**Author's Note:**

> title from NO HALO by brockhampton
> 
> part two but can honestly be read on its own
> 
> au with no upside down bs but i try to stick as tru to canon as possible
> 
> unbeta'd also proofread at 1am pls forgive me

Max doesn’t get it.

Billy was fine in California, a dick but fine, and when they got uprooted the Hawkins, he got worse.

But that’s not the confusing part.

From the second they entered Indiana, for the entirety of the three days they lived in their new home together, Billy was cruel and a bully. But the day after Halloween, he was back to his mean and _fine_ , older step-brother self.

He’d still be a jackass and hog the bathroom in the morning, but he used to do that in Santa Monica, and he’s still gross and smokes what smells like ten cigarettes on the drives to school in the morning.

Now, though, he volunteers to take her to the arcade or to wherever she’s hanging out for the day, something he didn’t use to do in Cali, mostly because she was able to ride her skateboard around everywhere, but he never even _offered_ to then, so. It’s weird.

Billy’s being weird, but he’s fine, and Max doesn’t get it.

*

They’ve developed a routine of sorts.

Max would grab her skateboard and say she’s going out, and Billy would stop whatever he was doing to ask her where she’s headed. Sometimes, he’s working out, others he’s watching tv in the living room, or maybe he’s even doing homework in the kitchen. But that’s the only thing that isn’t constant.

Doesn’t matter where Max says her destination is, because Billy always says he’ll drive her, just asks her to wait while he gets ready. Max doesn’t understand why he needs to fix his hair and change his outfit just to get into his car for a ten minute ride, but she’s not going to ask him. Last time she did, he snapped at her to “mind her fucking business, shitbird” so she’s going to leave it alone. Like she said, Billy is _weird_.

*

Billy isn’t there to drive her around on the Sunday after Halloween. After Neil had dragged them all to church in the morning, Billy hadn’t even gone into the house before hopping into his Camaro and driving off, to where she doesn’t know.

All she does know is that Billy's not there to drive her to the Byers’ when Dustin starts screaming into the walkie they gave her. Max doesn’t even know what he’s screaming about, just hears his overdramatic wails. In between his outbursts she maybe catches the words “Will” “sick” and “bad”. So.

She doesn’t wait for Billy to come home, or even for her mom and Neil to get back from their early dinner date before she grabs her skateboard and takes off toward where she remembers the Byers house is. She’d only been there once, and she had gotten a ride from Steve Harrington, Dustin’s babysitter ( _the kid’s almost fourteen why does he even need a babysitter?_ a voice that sounds too much like Billy for her liking grumbles in her head) but it can’t be that hard to get there on her own, right?

*

Well. Max has figured out it actually _is_ hard to get there on her own. She’s been tiring herself out on her skateboard for the past thirty minutes before she decides to just give up. She’s tried radioing Dustin, Lucas, and even Mike to ask for directions, but hasn’t received an answer yet. It’s been ten minutes. She doesn’t know how much longer she can wait.

She’s about to call it quits and head home when she hears a door open and slam closed from across the street. When she looks up, Steve Harrington is jogging down his steps toward his car. Before he gets in, Max calls out for him while climbing to her feet.

“Steve!”

Steve whips his head around, his ridiculous hair bouncing with the motion.

“Who- Max? What are you doing here?”

Max lets out a frustrated breath. “I was headed for Will’s house, but got lost. Dustin called me like half an hour ago over the walkie about an emergency.”

Steve’s shoulders deflate a bit. Max didn’t even notice him tense up.

“I actually just got the same call. Doofus couldn’t remember my number so he finally called his mom to ask for it. I’m heading over there now, you wanna come with?”

Sighing in relief, Max nods and dashes over to the passenger side. After throwing her board in the backseat and buckling in, she turns to Steve, who’s already looking at her.

“Ready to go?”

Nodding in affirmation, Max says, “Hell yeah. Let’s go.”

Steve reverses the car and floors it down the road.

*

When they get the small house in the woods, Max finds chaos. Almost everyone she knows from this small town is there, even a few she doesn’t. She recognizes Joyce Byers and her eldest, Jonathan, and obviously all the boys. She even knows Jonathan’s girlfriend and Mike’s sister, Nancy (and what happened between her and Steve; Max catches Steve’s face fall flat a little when he spots her, but he quickly jumps into action and doesn’t pay attention his ex).

She doesn’t recognize the chief of police or his daughter. She clearly knows of him, because Mike has complained about him before, and so has Billy (maybe if he didn’t _speed_ all the damn time-). But Max doesn’t know them by name. Max goes over to the girl to introduce herself, but all she gets is a small, tight smile before the girl is walking by her out the door, after her dad.

Mrs. Byers follows after, with Jonathan carrying an unconscious Will in his arms. Nancy trails after them, explaining to the party that they're taking Will to the hospital, that he fainted and banged his head, no she doesn’t know what caused it. She’ll call the house with updates as she gets information, but otherwise they should all wait here until they get back.

Max walks over to Lucas after everyone else has left. Steve’s bickering with Dustin in the kitchen and Mike is huffing and puffing while pacing in the living room.

Flopping down on the couch, Max tilts her her head toward Lucas as he gingerly sits down next to her.

“Hey, stalker”

He clears his throat. “Hi.”

“Your walkie broke?”

He looks at her quizzically. “No? I left it at home, though.”

Max nods serenely. “Would’ve been nice to tell me Will’s address so I knew where I was heading, but hey.” She smiles a little meanly and punches Lucas in the arm. He winces. “I got here in the end.”

“Shit,” Lucas whispers under his breath, rubbing his sore arm. “I’m sorry, I thought you knew; you’ve been here before. I didn’t think.”

Max sighs, already forgiving him. “It’s fine. Ran into Steve and he gave me a ride.”

“Good.”

Before anything else can be said between them, Mike stops his stomping and shouts, “How are you guys okay just sitting here while Will is hurt?!”

Dustin stumbles into the living room, Steve lagging behind him. “That’s what I’m trying to tell Steve! We have to go to the hospital!”

Lucas jumps up in agreement, but Max watches Steve shake his head.

“No, no way.” Steve crosses his arms when the three boys turn to glare at him. “I know you guys are scared as hell and nervous for your friend, but I’m not taking you to the hospital now. Mrs. Byers wants us to wait here until they figure things out, and that’s what we’re doing.”

“But-!”

“No _but_ s!” Steve declares, placing his hands on his hips. “I promised I’d look after you little shits, and that’s what I’m doing. Are we clear?”

When they all just stare at him, he demands, “I need a yes!”

They’re interrupted by the rev of an car outside, and Max scrambles to the window when she recognizes the sound of the engine.

“It’s my brother,” Max tells Lucas nervously. “I’m supposed to be home, he can’t know I’m here. He’ll kill me.”

She looks at him, stares into his wide eyes. “He’ll kill us.”

“Geez, overdramatic much?”

Max whips around to where Steve is standing behind them, peering through the curtains over their shoulders.

Max grits her teeth, mad at Steve’s dismissive comment. “You don’t know my brother. He’s always been a dick, but now he’s worse. Angry all the time.” Though that hasn’t been the case for the last four days.

Steve lets out a sigh. “I’ll deal with him. You guys just stay in here. _Don’t_ come out.” He sends a pointed look at Dustin, who gasps in offense.

“What- _Steve_! This guy is the worst! He tried to run us over!”

Steve’s still walking to the front door when he says, “Yeah, I know. I talked to him about it.” Which- what?

Dustin voices Max’s confusion. “You _talked to him about it_? When? Why are you talking to Billy Hargrove?!” They don’t get an answer, because Steve is already outside.

They all, including Mike, rush back to the window, which is open a crack so they can listen to what they’re saying.

When Billy gets out of the car, he’s wearing his leather jacket on top of an open red button down and his expensive pair of jeans. _Shit_. He must have had a date tonight, and had to cancel to come look for her. She’s _so_ dead.

“Am I dreaming or is that you, Harrington?” Billy purrs, cigarette smoke coiling out of his mouth.

Hands on his hips, Steve smirks and drawls, “Yeah, it’s me. Don’t cream your pants.”

Laughing, Billy takes off his jacket and throws it onto the seat. He strolls up to Steve, who’s climbing down the stairs toward him. Billy questions, “Whatcha doin’ here, pretty boy?”

“Henderson called me over. One of his friend’s fainted or something and all the kids are worried. I’m babysitting.”

Billy hums. “That right? Is that why I got stood up tonight?”

Steve shoves Billy’s shoulder, and Max’s heart stops. This is it, Billy’s gonna snap, he’s gonna start throwing punches, she needs to stop this-

She’s about to leap to her feet to run outside and intervene when she tunes back into the conversation because — Billy’s laughing, and it’s not his mean cackle.

“I did _not_ stand you up. I called you over here, didn’t I?”

Max knows her eyes aren’t the only wide ones when she watches Billy tug Steve closer by the hand Steve pushed him with.

“ _Mhmm_ , you did. Am I the older brother of the kid you’re babysitting that you sneak off with?”

Max has had enough of this. She ignores Dustin muttering “ _What?_ ” in horror, though she can definitely relate, and Lucas’ attempts to grab her, before she throws open the front door.

“ _Billy_!”

Billy doesn’t let go of Steve’s hand when he glances at her. “Hey, Mad Max.”

Steve looks over his shoulder and smiles at her. “What’s up?”

Max feels the boys’ presence behind her when she demands, “What are you doing here?”

Billy rolls his eyes and drops his hold on Steve _finally_. “Looking for you.”

Max huffs. “And how did you know I was here?”

Smirking, Billy pats Steve’s shoulder in passing as he walks toward her. Max feels Dustin and Mike stiffen behind her. “Steve called before he left, said he was heading over to the Byers'. If you ran off, too, I figured you’d also be here.” He peers at Lucas and nods. “Sinclair.”

Standing tall, Lucas nods back. “Hargrove.” Billy laughs softly under his breath.

Max doesn’t acknowledge Dustin’s furiously whispered “ _Dude_!” and the sound of a palm smacking flesh. She asks, “And why would Steve call you?”

Billy drops the jovial expression on his face when he looks her in the eye. “You know why.”

And it all just _clicks_ in her head. Billy's offers to drive her places where the party will be, Steve most likely driving Dustin; Billy always dressing up for those rides, taking forever to get his hair just right; Billy being _nicer_ and not as mean and being _weird_.

“Oh,” she breathes.

Rolling his eyes again, Billy walks past her and the party to get into the house, Steve trailing behind him. “Yeah, _oh_. Sheesh, I though you were smart.

That shakes Max out of her reverie. She stomps after him into the house, stands over him where he’s sprawled on the couch with Steve next to him. “Well, how the hell was I supposed to know? Neither of you said anything.”

“Can you blame us?” Steve chuckles, gesturing to the three boys behind Max. “We didn’t know if you’d be cool or you’d react like _that_.”

Max turns to see Lucas and Mike fiercely talking to each other while shooting looks at the two teenagers’ direction. Dustin just stands and stares at Steve like a heartbroken puppy. They don't know what Max figured out, but they're definitely reacting to their glorified babysitter being _close friends_ with their friend's bully of an older brother. 

Sighing, Max twists back to them. “Yeah, okay. I get it.”

Dustin cuts in with “ _I don’t_!” but overall gets dismissed, being dragged into Lucas and Mike’s conversation instead.

Max drops onto the space next to Billy. “We’re talking about this later,” she states, poking him in the chest. He bats her finger away. “Also, you two are gross.”

Steve snorts into his hand, shoulders shaking as Billy wags his tongue and says, “Thanks.”

So.

Billy’s fine. Still a dick, but not as mean. He’s weird, but he’s got Steve to be weird with him.

As long as Billy keeps offering to give her rides to places Steve is going to be at, Max isn’t going to complain.

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://hargrovebuckley.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/hargrovebuckley/)


End file.
